Camilla Åkrans's dreamy fashion photographs have a romantic palette but a raw, rough, sexuality. The Swedish photographer's portraits of Claudia Schiffer, Leah de Wavrin and other top models evokes comparisons to Éric Rohmer's films, Lisa Yuskavage's paintings and the iconic 70's porn magazine Oui. Even her ad campagins for Hermès, Neiman Marcus, Tommy Hilfiger, Missoni and Erès have a disarming sensuality. Åkrans's work has appeared in various Vogues, Numero, Harper’s Bazaar and The New York Times Style Magazine. During Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Åkrans's work will be exhibited alongside a catwalk presentation of three emerging Swedish designers, Camilla Norrback, Diana Orving, and Ida Sjöstedt and series of lectures at the Swedish Institute. First, Åkrans discuss her work with us.
Ana Finel Honigman: What is most consistent in your work?
Camilla Åkran: Colour is really important to me. But I think that the most significant element is the woman’s character. I am always portraying the same type of woman. I am presenting a strong, sensual woman in all my images because that is how I want to be perceived.
AFH: Your palette is remarkably soft and your locations are dreamy but your models often convey an assertive, or even aggressive, sexuality. Can you define the mood of your images?
CA: I wouldn’t say that my women are aggressive, although their sexuality is essential. The women in my pictures relate to how I want to be perceived. I think that artists are always creating representations of themselves. I don’t want to portray weak women. I only want to show strong women in my work.
AFH: Your images are often described as especially “feminine.” Why do you think this term is used with you and do you feel it’s an interesting or appropriate description?
CA: I am a woman and I think that is an important part of my work. Women today can be very strong and proud of their sexuality. Women in previous eras were put down as objects. But today, women can express themselves and really show their identities.
AFH: How is working with a known model, like Claudia Schiffer, different than working with a girl whose personality is not already formed for the viewer? Are your images of Claudia closer to portraits than your other fashion photographs?
CA: It depends on the publication but I wouldn’t consider my work with Schiffer as portraiture. We were creating a character together. The images of Claudia that are shown in the Swedish Institute were not created to reveal her but rather to convey a mood. Having said that, Claudia has a remarkably cinematic face. She is much more expressive than the younger girls.
AFH: Do you like photographing the legions of less character-based beauties?
CA: Today’s models are just pieces of canvas. They come and go. I don’t see a wave of interesting faces. The models are too young to know themselves and it shows in the photographs.
AFH: Besides scale, how do you think your images appear differently in a gallery versus an editorial?
CA: Readers expect to breeze through magazine editorials. They just look at the clothes for a quick fix of inspiration. It is like McDonalds. It is a quick fix. But viewers in a gallery really pay attention. The photograph might be the same in both contexts but it is seen very differently. In a gallery, people stop and ponder the photographs. They try to understand them. People in a gallery actually see the photographs.
AFH: What about your ads? How do they relate to your overall aesthetic and approach?
CA: Ads are different from editorial work because the ultimate creative decisions are not mine. The art director and client have made choices and I know that I can only input my own creative opinions to a limit.
AFH: Do you feel the same emotional attachment to these images? Do you look at them and think: “that’s mine”?
CA: I try to make them mine. What’s strange for me is when I get hired to shoot an ad campaign and the client wants something completely different from what I do. I don’t understand why I was chosen and I then need to decide how much of myself to put in the project. It sometimes feels like clients don’t know or understand my work yet still want to hire me. That can be difficult.
AFH: I imagine at this point, people hire you for your name, right?
CA: Maybe. But the name still means something and I hope they like that too.
AFH: Your images are often discussed as cinematic. Do you have particular films or a plotted narrative in mind when shooting?
CA: I never storybook editorial shoots. I have a clear idea about my inspiration and the character that I want to convey but I avoid strict plans. I don’t want to be locked down. I want to be free to follow the mood.
AFH: Is there a particular director whose work you feel most influences yours?
CA: I watch movies. I don’t follow directors. I am usually inspired or driven by the plot and personality of a film, not its look. Stories affect me. However, I am a big fan of Ingmar Bergman. Bergman’s stories, acting and emotion really influenced me. Although, I feel a bit embarrassed saying that since it sounds like I’m just being very Swedish.
AFH: Be as Swedish as you like. I’m a fan of you guys. What do you think is essentially Swedish about the Stockholm Fashion scene?
CA: I don’t know really. We like clean design. I am really impressed with the fact that we’re such a small country yet we have a really strong graphic, fashion, photography and design influence. We seem to have a strong point of view. I think that the feature best defining Swedish design is the stress on “clean lines.”
AFH: “Clean” is the first work that comes to mind when I think of Swedish design too. But also “intellectual.” I really admire your scholarly approach to fashion. I was wildly impressed, envious actually, of the Centre for Fashion studies at Stockholm University. I can’t wait for the lecture series during BFW. Are you just naturally nerdy or is there another reason why do you think you guys take such a thoughtful approach to fashion?
CA: Maybe because we have nothing else to do. No one bothers us and we have lots of time to think deep thoughts. It snows a lot too. We have to stay indoors and think. I think it’s good for us.
